The Hollywood Ten (1950)

Directed by

John Berry

Genre

documentary film

Country

United States

Runtime

15 min

Rating

6.8 of 10 from 11 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This short documentary profiles the ten screenwriters and directors who were blacklisted in Hollywood for refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Each man gives a brief speech opposing McCarthyism and defending free speech. The film was made to raise money for their legal defense.

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What happens

The Hollywood Ten is a 1950 American short documentary film. Shot in 16mm with a runtime of 15 minutes, it was created quickly to raise public awareness and legal funds for the ten screenwriters and directors who comprised the "Hollywood Ten". At the time of filming in April 1950, the ten blacklisted men were facing prison sentences for contempt of Congress stemming from their non-cooperation with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). The documentary begins with biographic profiles of each of the Ten. It then features them sitting at a long table where they, one by one, make a short speech denouncing McCarthyism and the chilling effect the Hollywood blacklist will have on the rights of all Americans. The film was produced by Paul Jarrico and directed by John Berry. At first, Berry was reluctant to participate since he predicted (quite correctly) that doing so would put him in serious political jeopardy. But, as he recalled in a 1995 interview, he was finally persuaded by the Hollywood Ten defense committee to be "a man of principle" and help create an effective defense document. He acknowledged in the interview that he was probably a good choice to direct:I knew most of the Ten. They were all terribly nervous and upset. I think the choice was made because they felt I would be able to calm them down and get them through it, getting something from them on camera without their being too stiff-assed. The documentary was banned from exhibition in theaters, and the U.S. government pressured other countries to not show it. IMDb notes that the film "was first shown non-theatrically in meeting halls and even in the living rooms of private homes." As Berry had predicted, he became a blacklist target as soon as the documentary was completed. His fate was further sealed in April 1951 when fellow director and Hollywood Ten member Edward Dmytryk named Berry as a Communist to the HUAC. Berry was named again the following month by director Frank Tuttle. The cascade of events set in motion by the documentary caused Berry to be subpoenaed by the HUAC and to flee to France. The 15-minute film is available as an extra feature on the DVDs of Spartacus and Salt of the Earth. It has also been posted on YouTube. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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